PUTRAJAYA, 3 May 2020:
The number of positive Covid-19 cases reported daily rose to 122 cases as of noon today, bringing the cumulative total in the country to 6,298, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. This tally is 17 higher than the 105 new daily cases reported yesterday.
He said 52 of the new cases were imported ones while 70 were from local infections, while 27 Covid-19 patients are still being treated in the Intensive Care Unit, 13 of whom require ventilator support.
“Based on the latest information given to the national Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre, there were two more deaths related to Covid-19. This brings the death toll in Malaysia to 105,” he said at a daily briefing here today.
He said the number of active Covid-19 cases with infectivity was 1,780.
Dr Noor Hisham also said 87 cases have recovered and were discharged today, bringing the total number of recoveries to 4,413.
He stressed that the Ministry of Health (MoH) would continue to closely monitor the situation in the country but the people must support the government’s efforts to break the Covid-19 chain of infection.
“The people are advised to continue to stay at home and only go out for essential needs. Continue to adopt a high level of personal hygiene like frequently washing your hands with soap and water, and practise social distancing of at least one metre.”
The perception that the Movement Control Order (MCO) has run its course once the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) takes effect tomorrow is a wrong one, stressed Dr Noor Hisham.
He said the MCO is still in force, but will now take a social compliance and self-discipline approach when it comes to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) enforced to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said the SOPs under CMCO were the same ones used in South Korea, Taiwan and Sweden, countries which managed to contain the pandemic without enforcing any form of movement restrictions and instead rely on a high level of social compliance and self-discipline.
“It would be wrong to perceive that the MCO is over and tomorrow we can ‘celebrate’. The MCO is still in force.” Dr Noor Hisham said Malaysia will now use the SOP approach, adding that there needs to be solid cooperation between the government and the public for the pandemic to be contained.
Meanwhile, he said the ministry had identified a new cluster – the Kuala Lumpur construction site cluster – which has 28 cases but has not recorded any increase so far.
Dr Noor Hisham said the MoH is investigating on whether this new cluster in Kuala Lumpur originated from other clusters.
He said all 28 positive cases under this cluster involved foreigners who may have been staying in the same communal area.
“We found that the individuals in this cluster may have been staying at the same apartment. Investigations are ongoing if they (construction cluster) are linked to any specific clusters, but so far there is no firm evidence to suggest that.”
MoH will also conduct screening on residents and workers of old folks homes in phases as senior citizens are part of high-risk groups vulnerable to Covid-19 infection, said Dr Noor Hisham.
Based on information obtained from a mortality review of 99 of 105 deaths reported in Malaysia, he said the age group with the highest number of Covid-19 fatalities were those between 61 and 70 years.
“This age group (61-70) had the highest number of Covid-19 deaths with 32 cases or 32.2%, while the second-highest age group were those aged 71-80, with 19 cases or 19.2%.
“The screenings will be done in phases, starting with 17 Rumah Sri Kenangan and Rumah Ehsan homes under the supervision of the Social Welfare Department.
“Next in line will be the 357 care centres registered under Act 506 (Private Healthcare Facilities And Services Act 1998) and 26 nursing homes registered under Act 586.”
Dr Noor Hisham said there were almost or more than 1,000 private old folks homes not registered under any Act currently.
He urged district health offices to identify such homes, including ‘pondok’ religious ones, adding that operators of these homes are also encouraged to contact their nearest district health office.
He also urged the general public to access the MoH’s Virtual Health Advisory should they need free consultation via the portal from 8.30am to 5pm every day.
“Senior citizens who need to seek treatment for chronic illnesses at health clinics are advised to stick to their follow-up dates and go for treatment.
“To avoid frequent visits to the clinic for the purpose of collecting partial drug supply, the ministry is offering valued added pharmacy services such as Medicines by Post (UMP), Locker2U, Integrated Drug Dispensing System (SPUB) and drive-thru pharmacy.”
Separately, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) will impose stern action against contractors who build workers’ quarters without following the set guidelines.
Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said based on construction records and observation, it was found that many workers’ quarters were built on construction sites without following the guidelines set by the CIDB and local authorities.
He said the failure to comply with the set guidelines could lead to the spread of the Covid-19, which occurred at a construction site in Jalan Ampang.
“Many workers’ quarters at construction sites are very dirty which causing the Covid-19 virus to spread quickly among workers.
“I have instructed DBKL and CIDB to carry out enforcement on construction sites, and those who do not follow the rules will be compounded and even have the construction sites shut down,” he said during a Facebook live session here today.
Annuar said ongoing inspections would be conducted by DBKL and CIDB to ensure that all construction sites in the federal capital are free of Covid-19 infections.
He said if there were construction workers who tested positive for Covid-19, the construction sites and workers’ quarters needed to be vacated and the workers quarantined. “The costs for quarantine and Covid-19 tests are to be borne by the construction company.”
He said overcrowded premises and homes will lead to hygiene problem. “Therefore, I have directed the DBKL and Alam Flora to clean up the area and take action against the owners of premises or homes which being rented to too many foreign workers at one time.”
– Bernama